While most American soccer fans I know are still griping about the poor performance by the Red, White and Blue in Germany this summer, as an eternal optimist, but admittedly a bit of a pessimist about American soccer, I see this year as the greatest year in American soccer history.

Let's get this straight right off the bat: I'm a marketing guy. I know a lot about it. I get paid to tell other people how to do it. I've spent time with people who are world-renowned experts on the subject.

With a few days to rest, catch second viewings and push the hurt deep into my belly, the teacher is ready to hand out World Cup 2006 grades. Sometimes I had to be tough, but I always tried to be fair. I will only accept apples before the grades are released, and I prefer green.

Why is it that the American soccer media (with the exception of Eric Wynalda who wasn't afraid to say that Donovan "hasn't shown up") is afraid to criticize Landon Donovan? I understand that he is supposed to be the Golden Boy of the US Soccer Revolution and all but how can we, as a group of journalists, not call a spade a spade when we see it?

Yours truly was one of the crowd in Kaiserslautern on a very warm and humid German night, cheering on the dwindling numbers of Team USA as they valiantly held on for a draw against Italy, who have now qualified for the gold medal in diving.

Let me just get this out of the way: I was wrong. I was wronger than wrong. I was more wrong than a thousand losing lottery tickets. I couldn't have been more wrong if I had worn Germany colors and mouthed off in an English accent on a train full of Polish hooligans.